Monday, October 27, 2025

           You may recall Jesus’ time of testing and tempting in the wilderness when the Lord was confronted by Satan.  Matthew, Mark and Luke all record this time of temptation where Satan proposed three opportunities for Jesus to forsake the Father in favor of Satan’s way. The devil tempted Jesus to turn stones to bread, to leap successfully from the highest point of the temple and to bow down in worship.  Each one was a departure from the plan that the Father had laid out for the Son.  Each one was designed to appeal to some basic need Jesus may have had or felt—hunger, a desire to be received by Israel and His destiny to be the King of kings.  But rather than turning to Satan’s shortcuts and improvisations, Jesus maintained His trust in the Father’s plans and timing.  God’s ways and not our ways and His timing is not our timing.  But God’s ways and timing are always perfect in any situation.
            The third and final temptation posed by Satan might be particularly relevant for us today.  Matthew records it in this way, “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ‘All this I will give you,’ he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me’” (Matthew 4:8-9).  Satan promised Jesus the kingdoms of this world.  And this promise came without a cross, without an empty tomb and without any hope for the rest of the world.  It was a purely selfish and egotistical temptation that Jesus saw straight through immediately.  Our Lord responded, “Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan!’ For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only’” (Matthew 4:10). 
            Satan often comes promising to make us kings or queens of this or that. He promises us the world.  He comes offering us the many pleasures, riches, desires and wishes that we think may be necessary to make us complete and satisfied.  His third temptation to Jesus may have been a short-handed way of proposing to give Jesus anything and everything for just one bow of the knee in worship and surrender.  However, we have to recognize that Satan’s offers and proposals always come with strings attached. His ways will cost us much more than we will ever want to pay and take us much further than we ever planned to go.  The kingdoms he promises are merely shiny wrapping paper for an endless load of regrets, grief, sins, shame and guilt.
            The enemy often tries to convince us that God is denying us something good, favorable, charming or enticing.  He would love for us to believe that God is holding out or holding back on us.  Satan even tried to convince Jesus that His own Father did not have His best interests in mind.  No wonder Jesus told us that Satan is a liar and the father of lies.  The old cliché that “if something seems too good to be true then it is not,” surely applies in our dealings with the enemy. 
            So, how do we respond to Satan when he promises us the kingdoms of this world and many other things?  James 4:7 says to resist the devil and he will flee.  We say no.  No. No.  No. Temptation often comes at the intersection of desire and opportunity.  If we have a desire, we pray that God protects us from an opportunity to sin.  If we have an opportunity to sin, we pray that God protects us from the desire.  As Paul said, we always pray without ceasing.  Prayer is a strategy for defeating Satan.  Stay in God’s Word.  You will note that Jesus responded to Satan’s three temptations by quoting Scripture three different times. Jesus always responded with the Word of God.  One reason we want to read the Bible and study it is to be ready when trials and temptations may come.  We want to be armed with a Word beyond ourselves.  Finally, we hold on to Christ.  We place our faith in Him.  Faith means forsaking all I trust Him.  We trust the One who defeated Satan to have better plans and ways for us to follow.  Have a great Monday!  Remember you can share our worship anytime at YouTube.com/FirstBaptistKannapolis.